Murine embryonal carcinoma cells can differentiate into a varied spectrum of cell types. We observed the abundant and precocious development of neuronlike cells when embryonal carcinoma cells of various pluripotent lines were aggregated and cultured in the presence of nontoxic concentrations of retinoic acid. Neuronlike cells were also formed in retinoic acid-treated cultures of the embryonal c...

Reverse transcription-PCR and Northern and Western blot analyses indicate that mRNA and protein encoded by the Brachyury gene are expressed by the pluripotent human embryonal carcinoma cell line NTERA2 and are only modestly down-regulated during retinoic acid-induced differentiation. This differentiation occurs along a neural lineage, with no obvious evidence of the formation of mesodermal deri...

Clinical and experimental data indicate that human embryonal carci noma cells are unusually sensitive to the antitumor drug c»-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin), but the basis of this sensitivity is un known. Using colony formation assays we measured survival of cultured human embryonal carcinoma cells following cisplatin treatment and related survival to the amount of platinum bound to...

Thy-1 is a well characterized glycoprotein known to be variably expressed on the surface of different cell types. Serological analysis of a limited number of teratocarcinoma-derived cell lines suggested that mouse embryonal carcinoma cells do not express Thy-1 and that its expression is associated with the appearance of differentiated cells. In this report we show that monoclonal antibody 1aG4,...

Diffuse embryoma of the testis is a very rare, distinct form of mixed germ cell tumor. I report here on a case of diffuse embryoma in a 22-year-old male who presented with painful scrotal swelling. The resected testis was entirely occupied by a non-encapsulated tumor mass. The cut surface of the tumor was grey or whitish pink, soft and granular with foci of hemorrhage and necrosis. Microscopica...

PURPOSE Up to 50% of patients diagnosed with stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCTs) harbor occult metastases. Patients are managed by surveillance with chemotherapy at relapse or adjuvant treatment up front. Late toxicities from chemotherapy are increasingly recognized. Based on a potential biologic role in germ cells/tumors and pilot data, our aim was to evaluate tumor expression of...

Purpose: Up to 50% of patients diagnosed with stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCTs) harbor occult metastases. Patients are managed by surveillance with chemotherapy at relapse or adjuvant treatment up front. Late toxicities from chemotherapy are increasingly recognized. Based on a potential biologic role in germ cells/tumors and pilot data, our aim was to evaluate tumor expressionof...

Background: Embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells derived from germ cell tumors are valuable tools for investigating differentiation and developmental biology processes in vitro. The advantage of the reproducible and rapid expansion of these cell lines provides a useful alternative to embryos for the study of mammalian cell differentiation. During early stages of cell differentiation, the rate of tran...

A clone (F20) containing coding sequences for the cell adhesion molecule uvomorulin was isolated by immunological techniques from cDNA library in the expression vector lambda gt11. The beta-galactosidase-uvomorulin fusion protein was used to affinity purify anti-uvomorulin antibodies. Affinity-purified antibodies recognized uvomorulin from cell lysates of embryonal carcinoma cells and reacted w...